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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Anxious about my kitten going outside

27 replies

Zombiefly · 02/01/2019 19:22

Hi everyone,

I've got two kittens aged 10 months, both have just been housecats with the occasional wander round the garden. Yesterday one of them got onto the flat roof but didn't go far. Today both have gotten out and only one has come back. I've tried shaking their biscuits and calling but no joy - usually they come as soon as I shake the biscuits. I'm just anxious as it's been a few hours.

Any words of wisdom? Am I just being overly anxious?

OP posts:
Original poster
Zombiefly · 02/01/2019 19:24

Forgot to say, they are chipped, spayed (both girls) and have collars with name and contact number.

OP posts:
Poppins2016 · 02/01/2019 19:33

Try not to worry too much. Cats usually come back home (wondering what all the fuss is about) just as you're panicking the most...

Keep shaking the biscuits and calling. Chances are that your kitten is a) too interested in/distracted by the great outdoors b) spooked by something or c) disorientated, so an audible reminder of the 'direction of home' should help.

smurfy2015 · 02/01/2019 19:48

Do they normally recognise their names? Possibly could be hiding somewhere, can you put a piece of your clothing sitting out for a while so that if has wandered off further than planned has a scent to come back to that recognises as home.

If not back by say 10/11pm but I hope your wanderer is, post on local groups (picture, mobile number)

Good luck

smurfy2015 · 02/01/2019 19:49

Just realised I read kitten age as 10 weeks by mistake

NotANotMan · 02/01/2019 19:50

Yes you are being over anxious. He will come back.

ImNotKitten · 02/01/2019 20:01

So are they escaped house cats? Is this the first time the missing cat has been outside?

Dollymixture22 · 02/01/2019 20:26

My kitten is eight months and I have recently allowed her out unsupervised. She doesn’t go far - but is getting more independent so might go into the neighbours garden for an hour or so. She ignore my calls until she is ready to come back. I had to rescue her today from a bigger cat!

Go out and call and shake treats for a while - she will hopefully come back soon

Santaisfastasleepatlast · 02/01/2019 20:27

Let them out an hour before food time!!

Dollymixture22 · 02/01/2019 20:27

I have also realised that when I call her she wanders over, looks at me, then wanders off again! Cheeky.

Dollymixture22 · 02/01/2019 21:02

Has the wanderer returned?

Original poster
Zombiefly · 02/01/2019 21:19

I have found her! But she's in next door's garden and can't seem to be able to get out - 7ft fences, and daft sod can't work out how to stand on the bbq and jump onto the fence. I jumped the fence but she's so nervous, she won't come. My neighbour is away Sad. I don't know what to do. I've tried attaching chicken to a string and waving it over the bbq but she's not getting it.

OP posts:
AtSea1979 · 02/01/2019 21:22

Why are they house bound? Cats like to be outside, they like to explore. It’ll find its way back when it gets hungry enough.

Dollymixture22 · 02/01/2019 21:23

I have been known to remove a fence board to retrieve my little nightmare.

Can you dig a hole under the fence?

Original poster
Zombiefly · 02/01/2019 21:26

They're house cats because we don't have a cat flap (yet) and also because it's quite a busy town location. Also - the animal killer is a worry. I am quite an anxious person so these things worry me, but I've had house cats before and they were perfectly happy.

OP posts:
Original poster
Zombiefly · 02/01/2019 21:27

Dolly unfortunately no. The neighbour put up the fence and it's really solid, and their side is paved Sad

OP posts:
SpaSushi · 02/01/2019 21:39

Chair or ladder to get over fence? They will do this again in that garden ( ir will be a game) so you need a plan

Original poster
Zombiefly · 02/01/2019 21:42

Spa I've been over the fence but she just kept running away from me - plenty of foliage to slow me down and for her to hide in. I tried for an hour but no joy and I was petrified that someone would call the police thinking I was a burglar. She's always been skittish, only comes to me but on her terms - if she doesn't want to be caught, she'll not be caught.

Bloody cat!!!

OP posts:
Original poster
Zombiefly · 02/01/2019 21:42

And they're not going out again any time soon once they're back!!

OP posts:
Dollymixture22 · 02/01/2019 21:47

You need to get her back soon or she’ll be out all night - and it’s cold!

Do you have garden furniture you can drop over their fence? A wooden chair with some treats on it, then she could climb over from there?

Give her some space - leave back door open?

Original poster
Zombiefly · 02/01/2019 21:59

I know. Trying to get a bit of the fence out now

OP posts:
ImNotKitten · 02/01/2019 22:05

Absolutely nothing wrong with having them as house cats AtSea infact it’s more responsible.

Zombie have you managed to get into their garden? Could you take her carrier over so she has somewhere to run into?

ImNotKitten · 02/01/2019 22:06

You could use a ladder to get over too. One of those ones that can be split into this shape /\ then balanced on top of the fence.

Lindy2 · 02/01/2019 22:18

If you can put a step ladder up by the fence in your neighbour's garden. That way she should be able to climb up on to it. Is there anything you can then put on your side of the fence for her to jump down onto?
A cat carrier left in your neighbours garden with treats in it is a good idea. Then shut it tight when she goes in.
It sounds like she is playing with you a bit if she keeps running away from you.
If you think she might be disoriented place her litter tray in your garden. The scent will tell her where home is.
I hope you get her back soon. My cat does go outside as she wouldn't be happy being a house cat. I'm always very relieved when she comes back inside though.

Original poster
Zombiefly · 02/01/2019 22:57

She's in!!! Thank you all for your help. Luckily the hole I made in the fence allowed me to do some cat-fishing Grin, and with the aid of ham and a cat toy, she got herself out. Under house arrest now, and I'm warming up. It's bitter out there!

Anxious about my kitten going outside
Anxious about my kitten going outside
OP posts:
MadCatEnthusiast · 02/01/2019 23:10

This is the same exact thing that happened with my kitten who is a month younger. I haven't let her out unsupervised and I'm considering putting up cat fencing to put on top of my cat fence. She loves the outside but she's too afraid of other cats who are all much bigger than her

I've bought her a leash instead though so we can still go out and get that stimulation albeit in a safer way

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